It is known in the art to record aperture and shutter speed information in relation to photographic pictures. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,843,956 and 4,001,846 to Kauneckas show electronic apparatus for recording such information directly on a film, while U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,995,289 to Shono and 3,736,849 to Thompson show opto-mechanical apparatus for doing the same. Further, at least one camera manufacturer makes available a data-back for a camera, including an alpha-numeric keyboard, which permits exposure data in combination with operator-selected messages to be recorded in relation to an exposed film.
A disadvantage of prior art cameras is that, in instances wherein a user intentionally varies a camera exposure from a suggested nominal exposure, no accommodation is made for recording the varied exposure. Such instances arise, for example, in cameras of the type providing both a recommended nominal exposure, and the ability to deviate from the nominal exposure for such purposes as exposure bracketing. Since no accommodation is made for recording the varied exposure, this information is not available to the subsequent observer of the finished photographic prints or transparencies. Thus, in situations where the user has intentionally varied an exposure, he is typically left guessing what exposure was used for a subsequently finished print or transparency.